Life hasn't been so easy for rapper 9th Ward. Living in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, 9th was devastated by the disaster, displaced from his home and forced to move to the Superdome until the tide subsided. At the same time, he was struck with the unthinkable tragedy of losing his daughter, who went missing at some point during the mayhem. He and his wife were put through emotional torture until his daughter was finally returned to them. With his family finally by his side, he knew that he had to get out of Louisiana while he still had the chance.
Atlanta seemed like a good bet. 9th packed up his belongings and headed to Georgia, where his tunes caught the ear of super producer Nitti. A couple months later, 9th happened to see Nitti on BET's Rap City talking about how he planned on signing 9th. Without skipping a beat, 9th showed up on Nitti's doorstep, beginning a partnership that extended to the recording of Nitti's debut album I Ain't Looking Back.
The aptly titled debut is set to be released on Jermaine Dupri's label So So Def in conjunction with Island Def Jam, featuring Nitti's harsh Southern beats and 9th's tales of Louisiana woe. "Add Me Up," the album's first single that features JD and Nitti, is a burning club banger on which 9th details his monetary worth with hypnotic wordplay. Its follow-up, "Chopper," is a much more serious affair, concerned with the vicious street life of Louisiana.
Despite his harsh subject matter, 9th is calm and cool as he sits down with Kiwibox VJ Kylie in the So So Def offices in NYC. 9th had just flown in, and he relished his downtime as he and Kylie chatted for a few. Check out 9th as he discusses how heartbreaking it was to have your daughter go missing, the relief that came with finding her and how he lucky he is to have gotten where he is today.
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